Final Fantasy Tactics fans: Are there any good similar games out there?

Blatz

Member
I've played FFT a bunch over the years on PS1, PSP, and now my Android. I was wondering if there were any modern games like it that were any good. Google found Massive Chalice and The Banner Saga. Have any of you played these and are they good? Do you know of others?

Preferrably PC or X360 games. I don't have a new system and I doubt I'll be getting one any time soon.
 
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. I like it more than FFT. Not that expensive on PSN either. Unfortunately not available on 360, or PC, without emulation.
 
I'll probably get reamed for this, but I sure did love XCOM.

I mention it due to both games have you navigating a grid. XCOM and FFT are drastically different otherwise.
 
Of course: Tactics Ogre, FFT was just a new Tactics Ogre by the same team but with the FF licence. The GBA one is awesome, or that's too old for ya?
 
You will probably like XCOM if you haven't played it already.

The Vita is the system you want for strategy RPGs...you got Tactics Orgre, Jean D'arc, Disgea, etc.
 
The Disgaea games are fantastic. You need basically any Playstation system at all:
PS2: Disgaea 1 &2
PSP: better versions of Disgaea 1&2
PS3: 3, 4 and D2
PS Vita: better versions of 3&4
PS4: Disgaea 5

A single Disgaea game will easily be worth the cost of whatever system you buy it for if you like 'em. I have >300 hours in Disgaea 3. A super cheap PS TV can also play Disgaea 1&2 PSP and Disgaea 4 vita, not sure they ever fixed Disgaea 3 for PS TV.

A Vita (or to a lesser extent PSP) will also get you a ton of similar games like Jean d Arc, Yggdra Union (good but flawed and way too many missables), Knights in the nightmare (complicated/strange, I couldn't get into it), Hyperdevotion Noire, Tactics Ogre. Haven't played any of those as much as Disgaea which is pretty much all I need for SRPGs, I enjoyed Yggdra but knowing I'm missing so much eventually got the better of me and I quit.
 
Like everyone else said, Tactics Ogre: LUCT is basically FFT's spirit twin. I still enjoyed FFT more, but it's as close to FFT you'll ever get again, probably.

I have both Massive Chalice and Banner Saga queued up on Steam once I get a gaming pc later in the year. They seem like the cream of the crop for indie SRPGs lately.

EDIT: Also, good calls on Jeanne D'Arc.
 
I feel like I love FFT for the same reasons I love Fire Emblem. So yeah, FE :P There's hardly anything like those games out there, even within the genre, which is pretty narrow to boot :(
 
Wild Arms XF (PSP) is really good. FFT-esque job system with more unique classes, killer soundtrack, hexagon battle grids, and more battle objectives than just "Defeat all enemies." Very cheap on the PSN ($10 IIRC).
 
Yeah


FFT is still the peak of the genre which boggles my damn mind.

To this day I don't think I've ever been engrossed in a game like I was with FFT.

It didn't get released in Europe until it appeared digitally so I saved up pocket money for about a year in the knowledge I'd be going to visit family in the US. When I got there I bought a PSOne, FFT, Xenoblade, Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, FFIV, V and VI and maybe one or two other things, none of which I could buy at home.

I was so damn happy playing through all that stuff.
 
360? If you have a high jank tolerance, check out Operation Darkness. Loved that game despite its failings (which are numerous)
 
Jeanne D'Arc for PSP is the only comparable experience I've had that scratches the FFT itch. Political drama, suspense, loosely based on Joan of Arc with a fantasy splash, grid battles, transformations, and it's just pretty to look at.
 
FFT just had so much magic.

I have yet to play an SRPG that tops it. Tactics Ogre comes close but suffers in visuals/animation

Many other Srpgs (including Valkyria) use the phase battle system which is inferior to the turn system used in FFT and always will be in my mind.
 
Came in to throw my vote at Jeanne d'Arc, Wild ARMs XF, and Valkyria Chronicles.

As a point of interest, keep an eye on Unsung Story: Tales of the Guardians, a game written by Matsuno (creator of FFT/Tactics Ogre), and developed by Playdek. They've shown precious little of the game so far, but I've liked what I've seen.

Edit:
Oh, I almost forgot another TRPG Kickstarter that just finished you might want to keep an eye on since you took a look at The Banner Saga:

Regalia
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1719693924/regalia-of-men-and-monarchs
 
I know I'm a minority here, but I loved Final Fantasy Tactics
Advance
. I never managed to finish the sequel, though.
 
Luminous Arc series on DS were the closest games to FFT. They were pretty fun, lovable characters and cute story. Hopefully we'll get the brand new Vita sequel thanks to XSEED.

Jeanne D'arc on PSP is another contenter for Best FFT/Tactical Ogre clone award. Level-5 did an amazing job with that one, cel shaded graphics really hit the spot.
 
I can tell you that both Massive Chalice and Banner Saga are bad and shouldn't be played by anyone looking for something with the depth of FFT.
 
I know I'm a minority here, but I loved Final Fantasy Tactics
Advance
. I never managed to finish the sequel, though.

I loved it as well but never did complete it. Was my first SRPG honestly.

As for the topic at hand, Disgaea is pretty good. <3 :)
 
I like FFT much more, but Tactics Ogre is definitely the go-to alternative. Jeanne d'Arc is a great pick too. Fire Emblems are all generally pretty good, but stretch the term 'similar' a bit. The FFTA games are decent enough to play through, but not particularly memorable.
 
Mmmmm you might be in trouble. Did you toss your PSP? Is your PC strong enough to emulate PS2 games?

My PSP died. So I'd try to emulate before I'd try to replace it probably. I've never tried to emulate PS2 before. I have a decent 64 bit gaming laptop that might be able to pull it off. What PS2 game were you thinking?
 
I played through MASSIVE CHALICE recently and it's really strange how it seemed to go unnoticed. It had tons of kickstarter backers, myself included, and while it took me like a month to get my damn code it was a great game. It's no XCOM but it just devoured like two days of my life. Music is awesome, gameplay is a lot more deep and systems-focused than you might expect from Double Fine (Brad Muir is the man). Enemy types get really repetitive though which hurts its replayability a bit.

X-COM-alikes are kind of their own thing though - here's tons of great traditional SRPGs that are a lot more similar ot FFT. Depends how far you want to go back. Some personal favorites of mine:

Front Mission 1 and 3 - amazing SRPG series focused on mechs and the customization thereof. 4 is kind of boring, I hear 5 is good but it never came out here other than a fan translation.
Shining Force 2 - classic but is pretty old.
Devil Survivor - play the 3DS remake if you can.
Fire Emblem Awakening - not a huge FE fan and have only played this and Sacred Stones. I liked both a lot but never got around to playing others.Awakening is a fine introduction to the series even if it makes FE purists really mad.
Disgaea (the first one) - it's best appreciated after playing some other older more serious SRPGs. The humor, presentation and crazy gameplay was a breath of fresh air at the time.

I'll probably get reamed for this, but I sure did love XCOM.

I mention it due to both games have you navigating a grid. XCOM and FFT are drastically different otherwise.

FFT was actually a major inspiration for how they redesigned XCOM relative to the original.
 
Disgaea, if your PC is powerful enough it can emulate the ps2 versions.

Also available on psp and ps vita
 
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